by Jack Lee
In the past few elections it’s become a tactic of candidates to engage in secret alliances and takeovers of groups to promote their own self interests and gain high profile endorsements to wave in front of the media. Case in point, every election year we see fake committees rise from nowhere only to give endorsements to a candidate. After the election they just fade away. In almost every case these fake committees were formed by the candidate or his/her campaign manager for no other reason than for an endorsement and whatever publicity this buys them with the media. This stinks.
Sometimes a legitimate organization can be co-opted with the candidates paid operatives who use their considerable influence to turn the membership into a force to be used expressly by the candidate. However, this works only there is the [appearance] that the group is acting autonomously and for no other reason than to support the candidate of their choice. The mission obviously is to make the voter believe these fake or co-opted endorsements mean the candidate is really ok, and this works very well to get votes. Elections have been won using these subterfuge.
Therefore, in today’s world of sneaky, dirty politics, the placement of the candidate’s staff members on real committees or on fake committees is just part of the game to seduce the voter by any means necessary. It’s what they are told by their handlers that they must do in order to win. And this is exactly why whenever I see a staffer or a representative for a candidate seeking a leadership position in a political group… I just have to wonder, what’s the real agenda here are they for real or just doing what must be done for the candidate? Placing the candidate’s own staffers on the inside is an enormous asset! They are in a good position to steer their fellow members towards an endorsement for their boss or better yet, get an entire group of people to volunteer to work for their boss (for free) and make them think it was their idea! If it’s done right the membership is completely fooled.
I have no problem with recruiting volunteer help or seeking endorsements by anyone as long as it’s done right, manipulating a group from within for a hidden agenda is not my version of right.
Obviously, you would think that any honorable person representing a politician would want to avoid the perception of impropriety by avoiding a leadership position in a partisan political group or at the very least by deferring any questions/issues of support or endorsements for their employer on the grounds that it is a conflict of interest. But, in actual practice they rarely do! Ethics and honor take a backseat to expediency when a career is on the line. This sort of thing is a real drag on our society and on so many levels from Wall Street to the Capital in Sacramento.
Our elections in California are becoming a sham because of this tricky subterfuge and our representation in Sacramento says I’m right, just look at the rascals that have taken over! When it comes to determining where the truth lays consider the possible motives and why someone would want you to believe a certain thing. In my case, I have no hidden agenda and nothing to gain, I just want you to be aware that such low tricks are being done to win your vote and right here in Northern California. Look, I’m not running for any office and I’m not a paid staffer either. I have no axe to grind with anyone and I expose these tactics at my own peril. There is no upside in me trying to make a case for people doing dirty tricks except to be honest and tell you the truth. That is my one and only agenda, the truth. And I want you to know this goes on so we can make a difference, put the pressure on those who do such things by exposing their plans and then maybe we can clean up politics!
See you tomorrow for the tea party!